NOVPUBChapter 71: The Night
Without realizing it, the sky had turned completely dark.
The folding table was a mess, with most of the hot pot ingredients having been devoured by Wen Yang and Yan Xinya.
Ning Chu, with her small appetite, hadn’t eaten much. She took a sip of her cola and suddenly asked, “What time is it?”
Originally, she had planned to keep the two girls around until late at night—past ten at least. By that time, both she and Wen Yang would be tired enough to simply fall asleep without worrying about anything happening between them.
But now, things were different.
Who knew what kind of trouble Lily, as a succubus, might cause? Especially since she had recently gone through qing. Her body was probably sensitive, and her mind likely filled with all sorts of inappropriate thoughts.
“It’s seven o’clock,” Yan Xinya said casually after checking the time.
“It’s already so late?”
The wolf-girl rested her arms on her legs, fully engrossed in the movie. “Not really, it’s only seven.”
“...”
Ning Chu was speechless. Yan Xinya’s emotional intelligence was high when it came to pushing her and Wen Yang together, but now she seemed oblivious.
After a moment of silence, Ning Chu stood up and said, “I’m going to wash the pot. You guys can take it back later.”
“Take it back?”
What, do you plan on spending the night here with Lily?
As she picked up the pot, she shot a skeptical look at Yan Xinya.
“We should just stay the night!” Yan Xinya teased with a sly grin. “You and Wen Yang can share a bed, and Lily and I will sleep in yours~”
So that’s what they were plotting! 𝔫𝖔𝖛𝖕𝖚𝔟.𝖈𝖔𝔪
Ning Chu’s face flushed a bit pink as she shot the wolf-girl a fierce glare and decided to be direct. “Get lost!”
She had invited Yan Xinya and Lily to avoid being alone with Wen Yang, not to get coaxed into sleeping with him!
That was way too risky!
“No way! The movie’s not even finished yet!”
“Out, out, out!”
She looked toward Wen Yang, only to see him looking back at her with an eager expression, making her even more embarrassed and annoyed.
Ning Chu took the pot to the balcony. Just as she was about to start cleaning it, she glanced at the pitch-black balcony, and images from the horror movie flashed through her mind. Her heart skipped a beat, and she rushed back inside to turn on the balcony light.
The bright light illuminated most of the corners, and only then did she feel safe enough to wash the pot.
Since there wasn’t any dish soap in the dorm, she just rinsed it with water, making it look clean enough.
Soon, Ning Chu returned to the room. “The pot’s washed. You guys should head back now.”
“What? Can’t we at least finish the movie?”
“Finish what? Move over, I need to clean up the table.”
“Exactly! The movie’s about ghosts anyway.”
Ning Chu busied herself with wiping the table and sweeping the food scraps into the trash. Glancing at the movie’s progress bar, she noticed there wasn’t much time left.
Perfect—just enough time for her to take a shower.
If it had been just her and Wen Yang alone, she would’ve hesitated to shower, but with the girls around, she felt confident Wen Yang wouldn’t dare try anything.
The only real concern was that Yan Xinya might try to egg him on...
“Wen Yang, sweep the floor.”
Ning Chu gave a quick instruction before grabbing her change of clothes and hurrying to the bathroom.
A few moments later, the sound of running water could be heard from the bathroom. Yan Xinya’s wolf ears perked up, and she playfully teased Wen Yang as he swept the floor.
“Ning Chu’s taking a shower~”
“I know.”
“She’s completely naked in there~”
“...”
Wen Yang sighed helplessly. “I’m not that kind of guy.”
Peeking or anything like that wasn’t something he’d do. Besides, at the rate things were going, Ning Chu would soon come to him willingly.
“Such a wimp.” Seeing that her attempt to stir things up had failed, Yan Xinya pouted before perking up again, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. “Tell me! How far have you and Ning Chu gotten?”
“Uh...”
Wen Yang glanced up to find even Lily, usually so cold, looking at him with eager eyes, filled with curiosity.
Could he really answer this?
Scratching his head, Wen Yang awkwardly replied, “We’re just starting.”
“Did you confess your feelings to her again?”
“Huh?”
He blinked in confusion. “I don’t think that’s necessary, right?”
Aren’t we already dating? Do I really need to confess again?
“You’re so dense! Even if you’re already dating, you still need to follow the proper steps! Make it romantic!”
Romantic...
Honestly, the moment Wen Yang heard that word, his mind went blank. He had no idea what a romantic scene would even look like.
It was clearly out of his comfort zone.
Yan Xinya, frustrated by his cluelessness, was about to launch into a passionate lecture about romance, but then the bathroom door opened.
Turning around, they saw Ning Chu stepping out, dressed in loose-fitting shorts and a T-shirt, drying her hair as she walked into the room.
“Only five minutes? I’ve never seen a girl shower that fast.”
“You’ve finished the movie, right?” Ning Chu asked.
Yan Xinya turned to the screen just as the end credits were rolling. She had no excuse to stay any longer and could only pout in disappointment.
“Out!”
Ning Chu packed up the induction cooker and pot into a bag, then started pushing Yan Xinya toward the door. “That’s enough for tonight! Lily, you too! It’s time for you both to go. It’s not appropriate for girls to stay in a boys’ dorm this late.”
“You’ve been living here for over two months!”
Ning Chu quickly covered Yan Xinya’s mouth, casting a cautious glance down the hallway before whispering, “Don’t say stuff like that! What if someone hears you?”
“Aw~”
“Go!”
Finally, with the door closed, the dorm was free of the wolf-girl’s noisy presence.
Ning Chu glanced at the window, where Yan Xinya was still peeking in, looking like a sad puppy locked out of the house.
“Was it too mean to kick them out like that?”
“It’s fine. Yan Xinya is thick-skinned.”
After spending so much time together, Ning Chu had already figured out the wolf-girl’s carefree personality.
Stretching her arms with a yawn, she turned off the lights and climbed into bed. “I’m going to sleep. Don’t bother me.”
“Isn’t it a bit early?”
“Yep!”
She wanted to get into bed early to avoid giving Wen Yang any ideas.
Even though she had admitted to herself that she liked him, she wasn’t ready to go any further.
Just thinking about it made her feel anxious, even scared.
Maybe she should find an excuse to explain things to Wen Yang, like saying her family was very traditional and didn’t allow premarital... activities?
Wen Yang was still respectful of her boundaries for now, but if he ever stopped being respectful, it would mean he was only after her body.
At the very least, she could delay things until after graduation. By then, she could demand a house and car, which would buy her a few more years.
Ning Chu hadn’t taken a nap that afternoon, so she hadn’t expected to feel sleepy so soon. But as soon as her head hit the pillow, fatigue washed over her.
She yawned and closed her eyes, but the scenes from the horror movie started replaying in her mind. Her heart began to race with anxiety, and she called out without thinking, “Wen Yang?”
“I’m here. What’s wrong?”
“It’s all Yan Xinya’s fault for making me watch that horror movie... Now I’m too scared to sleep.”
Wen Yang climbed onto the bed and sat beside her, looking down at the small, curled-up figure trembling slightly in the dark.
He reached out and gently held Ning Chu’s hand in his.
“Go to sleep.”
“Mm...”
